Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 2, Number 1, 1 January 1985 — Kohanga Reo Succeeds Despite Low Budget [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Kohanga Reo Succeeds Despite Low Budget

Te Kohanga Reo or the language nest isasocialand cultural early childhood program in New Zealand whose objective is similar to that of Hawaii's Aha Punana Leo, Halau Likolaulani O Hawaii and other like childrens' learning centers. Primary purpose of Te Kohanga Reo is to teach the Maon language, custom, culture and spiritual values to youngsters in an effort to stop the decline of their language in New Zealand. The primary objective of the Hawaii projects is similar — to keep the Hawaiian language, culture, tradition and spiritual force from dying out. Fiscally, however, Te Kohanga Reo is a sharp eontrast to such projects as Punana Leo or Likolaulani. When a Kohanga Reo whanau (extended family system) is established, eaeh is given a one-time grant of $5,000 by the government's Maon Affairs office. There are 84 of these language nests throughout eight districts in New Zealand. Eaeh one of the eight districts has a coordinator to see that the program is run smoothly and to establish as many Kohangas as are needed. One such coordinator is Beatrice Ngaurungatapu Kerr who has 28 Kohanga Reos in her district in the North Island. Schoolsin NewZealand are currently on their summer break and Bea Kerr and her husband, Robert, are on a combined working and vacation trip in Hawaii. Arrangements for their loeal stay were made through the efforts of Princess Po'omaikalani Kawananakoa and Office of Hawaiian Affairs Human Services Specialist Sam Holt and his wife, Robin, who were heretofore complete strangers to the Kerrs. Ka Wai Ola talked with Bea Kerr to compare notes between their project and that of the grant-aided Hawaii centers. When a Kohanga is initiated or established, they become self-sufficient upon receipt of the one-time $5,000 grant. This means, Bea explains, the Kohanga must look for its own staff, tutors and additional funding to sustain the program and staffing. Some of the whanau centers licensed and eligible for subsidy from the Department of Social Welfare get up to $18 per child per week. Additionally, those parents who ean afford it pay an average of $25 per child per week. The respective Maon communities also give gifts of money and food

in support of the Te Kohanga Reo whanau centers in their own localities. A total commitment is what its all about. Some 500 volunteers are actively involved in the whanaus and these include mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents and others. In contrast, Punana Leo was recently given an OH A grant of $54,000 and Likolaulani has had total funding of $75,35 1 . When appraised of these figures, Bea's only exlamation was: "Wow!" These learning centers were initiated two years ago and they encompass children from six months to six years. Those babes in arms and toddlers are aeeompanied by their mothers. There are about 20 students in eaeh whanau. For the older children, one parent comes one week a month. Parents are rotated from an established roster. Classes are held five days a week from 8 a. m. to 4 p. m. and school is in session for 49 weeks. In one township alone there may be two Kohanga only one mile apart. They may be established anywhere there is a need to be served. Bea explains that some of the Kohanga have been operating without the $5,000 because the government

exhausted its current budget. They must wait until the next budget year, she pointed out. Participation by mothers gives them a ehanee to get over what Bea ca!ls "surburban neurosis" because they meet one another from within the same Kohanga, sharing and making things in arts and crafts and caring for eaeh other. From an early age, the children will have seen all the crafts that have been almost forgotten. It is important, Bea points out, that the Maon language, customs, culture and spiritual values be taught to children at a very early age. Otherwise, she added, these values will be lost like many of the Hawaiians lost theirs. "Like you Hawaiians, we are trying to retain our culture and values through our youngsters and Te Kohanga Reo. Our elders are dying off and the young ones are their successors," she declared. Bea is a retired school teacher with 40 years of service. Her husband is a lecturer in Maori and anthropology at Auckland University. The Te Kohanga Reo program is being carefully monitored and there are frequent discussions through the National Officials Co-ordinating Group made up of officers from the departments of Maori Affairs, Social Welfare, Labor and Heakh. They work in concert with the Maon Education Foundation, the Pre-school Child Care Association and the Wellington Hospital Board. Bea says there is still mueh work to be done in the transition from Te Kohanga Reo whanau centers to school life. The National Advisory Committee on Maori Education has given priority to preparation of junior class teachers for the time when they get these children into their classrooms. Every effort, she said, must be made to ensure that the gains made at the centers are not lost or inhibited in the transition to school.

Beatrice Kerr

Busy weaving lauhala is this trio.

Entertaining kupunas with hula is Patricia Lei Anderson Murray, a former Miss Hawaii.

This pair works on quilt cushion covers.